From reading through that reference, it seems that the "type" of reflective tape is by far the most important aspect, and then color is secondary. Using a mix of white and yellow colored pieces of Metalized micro-prismatic reflective tape would give you a huge sight distance advantage over cheaper tapes.

I had it before on my Surly LHT fenders and the reflective tape is legit, it looks black like fenders (gloss). When you shine a flashlight on it, it turns bright white (like the 3m reflective tape). If you're looking for something you can use on a something that's black so it matches your gear, this is the stuff to get.

From reading through that reference, it seems that the "type" of reflective tape is by far the most important aspect, and then color is secondary. Using a mix of white and yellow colored pieces of Metalized micro-prismatic reflective tape would give you a huge sight distance advantage over cheaper tapes.

+1

I use both red and white on my bikes, the white is definitely brighter, but not by a huge amount.

I recommend Reflexite REF-DB Retroreflective V92 Daybright Tape, found on Amazon. I use it on my commuter. It is very bright! It comes in several different colors. I ordered the silver/white and red. Be sure you know exactly where you want to lay it because it is difficult to remove. The tape has been on my commuter/winter bike for two years, and at this point the fraying tape needs to be removed and replaced.

That works by absorption of a specific wavelength/s of light, while emitting the remaining wavelength/s. This does not necessarily reduce the amplitude of the reflected light energy but rather just changes what color you see.

That works by absorption of a specific wavelength/s of light, while emitting the remaining wavelength/s. This does not necessarily reduce the amplitude of the reflected light energy but rather just changes what color you see.

Side by side, the white reflective tape is clearly a little brighter than the red reflective tape of the exact same type, from the same manufacturer/batch.

The results of the study showed that there was no statistically significant difference in performance among the various reflector treatments and the current CPSC regulation reflectors.

Therefore, improvement to the existing reflector requirement does not appear warranted. The parallel path crash simulation showed that the flashing red LED taillight used in the evaluation could significantly improve a driver's detection distance over the CPSC regulation reflectors.

As a nation we still continue to enjoy a literally unprecedented prosperity; and it is probable that only reckless speculation and disregard of legitimate business methods on the part of the business world can materially mar this prosperity. – Theodore Roosevelt, Sixth Annual Message, December 3, 1906

Side by side, the white reflective tape is clearly a little brighter than the red reflective tape of the exact same type, from the same manufacturer/batch.

White is considerably brighter than any of the colors -- the color filtration is purely absorptive, the colors that get blocked aren't re-emitted as some other color, they're just blocked. Red tape reflects only the light hitting it from the red end of the spectrum, the rest is absorbed.

For example, see 3M's specs for 983 "Diamond grade" reflective tape for the difference in coefficients of retroreflectivity. Yellow is a little bit less efficient than white, but red is much lower.

I spent a few dollars on a 5' roll of 3M "Conspicuity" tape off fleabay (yellow, which was kind of greenish), and my choice was to attract attention by chopping it up into a message. Here's what drivers see hanging off my left rack:

I recommend Reflexite REF-DB Retroreflective V92 Daybright Tape, found on Amazon. I use it on my commuter. It is very bright! It comes in several different colors.

I've bought the silver and the fluorescent yellow. They turned out to be very different. The silver stays very well (2-3 years with little peeling), but the fluorescent yellow is much thicker and peels off right after applying it. I'm very disappointed by the latter as I like the lime color which I think is more visible in daytime.